The Best Quick Exercises And Diets To Lose Weight

There are many diets that claim to to help you lose weight quickly. However, most will only cause a loss of water weight. A low-fat, low-calorie, low-glycemic index diet along with aerobic and strength-training exercises will help you lose the fat quickly and safely. Before starting any diet or changes to your activity level, be sure to talk to your doctor.

Weight Loss Basics

Effective and permanent weight loss requires your to burn off more calories than you consume. You can control the number of calories you eat, but how they are used depends greatly on your level of activity and your metabolism. Metabolism is a process by which your body breaks down food and uses that energy to perform vital tasks, such as digestion, breathing and cell regeneration. Your personal metabolism rate depends on several factors, including your age, gender, how much muscle you have and your overall size. Since muscles require more calories to maintain, increasing your muscle size will also increase your metabolism.

Diets

The University of Sydney states that people who eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet that is high in carbohydrates with a low glycemic index lose weight faster and are able to lower their LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. To accomplish this, you should increase your intake of whole grains, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, legumes and nuts while reducing your consumption of white bread, potatoes, white rice and high-sugar foods. When figuring out your diet, take into consideration that you should not reduce your calorie intake to less than 1,200 per day and it should consist of a variety of foods, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, to get all of your needed vitamins and minerals. Make sure you drink eight to 10 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated and consider breaking your meals into several smaller portions you eat throughout the day, which will help keep you feeling full.

Exercises

Since weight loss requires you to burn calories, and muscle requires extra calories for maintenance, you should opt for exercises that include both aerobic and strength training. Aerobic, or cardio, activities include running, fast walking and dancing. Strength training includes using resistance bands or weight machines, as well as free weights. According to "Arthritis Today," you should start with the strength training and then finish with your aerobic activity to lose weight quicker. If you want to lose weight fast, and keep it off, you should commit to 60 minutes a day, though you don't have to do it all at once. When you just don't have time to devote to exercise, then commit 10 minutes several times a day to things such as jumping rope, climbing stairs or riding your bike. Lift weights when you are watching TV or on the phone.

Fad Diets

According to the University of Iowa, fad diets do not work. Any diet that restricts your calories to the extreme or has you eating only one or two food types may cause health concerns. If you choose to try one of these diets, be warned that after you lose a few pounds, your metabolic rate will decrease and your body will consume muscle for fuel, leaving your fat stores alone. Many fad diets will show you a fast weight loss, but normally that is just water weight and will return quickly.

Colon Cleansing

Colon cleansing for weight loss has not been proven to be effective, states the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. These products can lead to serious side effects, including heart conditions when too much potassium has left the body. If you do use a colon cleanse, the only weight lost is due to removed fecal matter and water loss, which will just return after you eat.